AutoKnerd
AutoKnerd: Where the Sales Floor Gets Smarter Dealerships don’t need more hype, they need more humanity. AutoKnerd is the podcast for automotive pros who believe great sales start with empathy, trust, and genuine curiosity about the customer. Hosted by veteran trainer Andrew Sardone, we break down the modern Road to the Sale through real-world stories, science-backed strategies, and honest conversations about what works and what doesn’t. Expect smart talk, sharp humor, and the occasional trip through car history or behavioral psychology. Each Thursday, we explore how kindness and competence can actually move metal, boost CSI, and build careers that last. Bring your brain. Leave the burnout. Kindness sells. Let’s prove it.
Episodes
In every car deal there is a quiet moment that determines whether trust grows or collapses. It happens right before the addendum appears, and most consultants mishandle it without ever realizing why the customer suddenly shifts their body language, their tone, or their willingness to move forward.
In this episode, Andrew Sarone from Auto Nerd breaks down the psychology behind this moment and explains why...
We have all been there.
A customer asks a simple question, we give a quick answer that is close enough, and suddenly the entire emotional temperature of the conversation drops.
Their confidence dips.
Their posture changes.
And without realizing it, we have sprung a trust leak.
In this episode, we explore the subtle ways consultants a...
This week on the AutoKnerd Podcast, we’re doing something fun, festive, and completely different. Andrew and Bridget take you behind the scenes of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to uncover the automotive magic no one talks about. From the Ram 5500s hauling Christmas down 6th Avenue, to the GMC workhorses of decades past, to the hidden drivers stuffed inside giant cartoon turkeys, this is the parade through the eyes of people wh...
AutoKnerd Podcast
The EV1 was not just early, it was dangerous.
Not to drivers, but to an entire industry built on fuel revenue, service schedules, and old school thinking.
In this episode, we dig into one of the most infamous automotive conspiracies of all time.
Why did GM create one of the best electric cars ever made, then recall and crush almost every single one
We unpack the story behind:
• Big Oil pressure
• Battery patent ...
When customers start to drift emotionally, they rarely tell you — they just disappear. In this episode, Andrew Sardone breaks down how to spot doubt before it becomes disaster. You’ll get data, scripts, and a new tool that trains emotional radar across every department.
Timestamps: 00:00 – Hook: Silence means drift 02:00 – The three signals of doubt 06:00 – The 43:57 talk-listen rule 09:00 – Scripts that rebuild trust 13:00 – Dep...
In this 30-minute episode, Andrew Sardone breaks down why the test drive is the emotional pivot of the sale and how great consultants create ownership moments through silence, observation, and timing.
You’ll learn:
🚗 The two Emotion Windows that decide most sales
🤫 Why confident silence builds trust faster than specs
🧠 The science behind emotio...
When a customer finishes the test drive, you’re standing in one of the most important trust moments in sales. What you say next determines whether they buy — or keep shopping.
In this episode, Andrew shares how clarity, empathy, and pacing create confidence without pressure. You’ll also hear how this mindset connects to the new AutoShop Elite tool for multi-department coaching.
Customers don’t buy specs. They buy feelings.
In this week’s AutoKnerd episode, Andrew Sardone reveals why flooding your walkaround with 20 features kills connection — and how limiting your presentation to 5–7 emotionally relevant moments boosts trust, memory, and sales.
You’ll learn:
• Why 95% of decisions are made emotionally (Harvard Business...
In Episode 61 of The AutoKnerd Podcast, host Andrew Sardone shares how to transform customer discovery notesinto a powerful, emotionally intelligent vehicle presentation.
Building on the discovery framework from EP60, this session helps sales consultants learn how to:
✅ Match customer needs, wants, and fears directly to vehicle features
✅ Replace feature-dumpin...
Last week, we explored the art of asking better questions.
This week, we’re tackling the other half of discovery — what you do with the answers.
Too many consultants ask great questions, then default back to their pitch. In this episode, Andrew Sardone breaks down how to use what customers tell you to build trust, tailor recommendations, and close more deals — without pressu...
Are you asking questions that push customers away instead of pulling them in?
In this episode, Andrew breaks down Discovery Pathways that help auto sales consultants uncover true customer needs, avoid sales “traps,” and build long-term trust.
You’ll learn:
-
Why some questions shut buyers down instantly
-
The psychology of better discovery (in...
EV sales don’t have to feel overwhelming. In this episode, we break down the 3 big myths that kill electric vehicle deals - and give you the scripts, confidence checklist, and gamified manager tools to close more sales.
🔋 What you’ll hear in this episode:
-
Range anxiety explained (simply!)
-
Scripts that work vs. scripts that lose the deal
-
The 5-step EV C...
Every consultant knows the feeling. Your customer walks in ready to buy… and then comes the third wheel. A friend, a spouse, or a coworker suddenly takes the wheel of the conversation.
Do you fight them? Ignore them? Or do you turn them into your secret closer?
In this episode of the AutoKnerd Podcast, we dive into:
-
Why 61% of buyers say f...
Too many salespeople kill deals during the walkaround by turning it into a boring spec sheet recital. The result? Customers tune out, trust drops, and the deal falls apart.
In this episode of the AutoKnerd Car Sales Podcast, Andrew shows you how to flip the script, deliver a customer-first walkaround, and prove you were listening — all while boosting commissions.
🚗 What You’ll Learn in EP56:
• The Spec Sheet Trap (and why it d...
AutoKnerd Podcast — Selling Cars Starts With Trust
What if the secret to selling more cars isn’t about the test drive at all? On the AutoKnerd Podcast, we break down the sales process to its core: building genuine trust with buyers before the keys ever change hands.
Hosted by and veteran trainer Andrew Sardone, th...
How do you close a deal without blowing up all the trust you just built?
That’s the question we tackle in AutoKnerd Podcast EP54: Closing Time – How to Finish Without Breaking Trust.
In this episode, Andrew Sardone breaks down:
✅ Why most consultants lose deals in the last 5 minutes
✅ 5 trust-first closing phrases that confirm instead of corner
Every sales consultant knows how important those little affirmations are — the nods, the “sure,” the “yeah, I see that.” But too many get stuck there. They rack up micro-yeses without ever bridging to the big commitment that closes the deal.
In this episode, we break down how to move from casual agreement to confident commitment without losing the customer’s trust. You’ll learn:
- How to recognize when a customer is signaling re...
Car sales success is built on micro-yeses — small agreements that build trust, reduce resistance, and make closing feel natural. In this automotive sales training episode, Andrew Sardone shows how to engineer micro-yes momentum across the dealership sales process: greeting, test drive, feature demos, and numbers. You’ll get scripts, CX psychology (halo effect), and a free Micro-Yes Tracker to map small wins in every d...
“This conversation could change how you sell — and why you sell.”
When two worlds collide — one built on kindness and car sales, the other on empathy and enterprise systems — something powerful happens.
That’s exactly what went down when Andrew sat down with Stephen Sakach, founder of Zero Company and creator of the BLISS philosophy: Build Love Into Scalable ...
🚗 Why do some consultants close effortlessly while others keep grinding with no results? In this special 50th episode of AutoKnerd, we crack the code behind The Trust Equation—a proven formula that turns cautious shoppers into confident buyers.
🤝 You’ll learn how Credibility, Reliability, and Intimacy work together to build unshakable trust—and how self-orientation quietly kills deals before they even start.
💡 Packed with real s...
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